Governor Formally Protests Oil and Gas Leases

Laramie, Wy – The governor formally protested the leasing of some land for oil and gas around Pinedale. In a letter written Monday to the director of the Bureau of Land Management Governor Freudenthal asked that no more parcels be leased until a resource management plan is done. He says this would not slow down development because 92 percent of the area is already leased. The Vice President of the Petroleum Association of Wyoming, Dru Bower, says it is a bad idea to block any potential leases because of the importance of developing domestic sources of energy. The B-L-M did go through with leasing the land during an auction Tuesday but a spokesperson says they will review the leases and could void them.